せ (se)
Pronunciation
The character せ represents the syllable 'se', a soft 's' followed by 'e' as in 'pet'. Part of the さ-row.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
せ is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a horizontal line near the top, slightly slanted, written from left to right. Stroke 2: a long vertical line on the right that crosses through the horizontal and continues straight down. Stroke 3: a long horizontal line at the bottom that curves up at the right end, forming a graceful tail. The shape is balanced and grid-like.
Common Words with せ
- あせ (ase) — sweat / perspiration
- くせ (kuse) — habit / tendency
- せき (seki) — seat
- にせ (nise) — imitation / fake / phony
- せん (sen) — thousand / 1,000
- たんせい (tansei) — working earnestly / sincerity / diligence
- せい (sei) — nature
- みせ (mise) — store / shop / establishment
- いせい (isei) — the opposite sex
- いせき (iseki) — remains / ruins / relics
- えいせい (eisei) — satellite / moon
- かいせい (kaisei) — revision / amendment / alteration
- がくせい (gakusei) — student
- きせき (kiseki) — miracle / wonder / marvel
- ぎせい (gisei) — sacrifice
- こうせい (kousei) — composition / construction / formation
- こくせき (kokuseki) — nationality / citizenship
- こせき (koseki) — family register
- しせい (shisei) — posture / pose / position
- せいい (seii) — sincerity / good faith
How to Write せ (se) in Hiragana
The hiragana character せ is romanized as "se" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "se" in "set". Example word: せんせい (sensei) — teacher.
Stroke Order for せ
When writing せ, follow the numbered stroke order shown in the reference character above. Japanese characters are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. Correct stroke order improves readability and writing speed.
Practice Tips
- Print this sheet on standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper
- Start by tracing the light grey guide characters in the first column
- Then practice writing せ freehand in the empty squares
- Pay attention to stroke direction and order — follow the numbered guide
- For interactive practice with animations, visit the main study page
About Hiragana
Hiragana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.